Lily Emberwick's Arc

Chapter 4 of 5

Lily arrived at the tower the next evening with her notes tucked inside her robes. McGonagall was already waiting, standing in the same spot as before. The professor gestured for her to sit on the stone steps, then asked to see everything Lily had written about Thunderbirds. Lily hesitated for just a moment before handing over the pages. McGonagall read in silence, her expression unchanging. Then she looked up. "You've been practicing in the courtyard near the greenhouses," she said. It wasn't a question. Lily nodded, confused about how the professor knew the exact location. McGonagall walked to the edge of the tower landing and pointed down toward the grounds. "Someone else has been watching you." She pulled something from behind a stone ledge — a shimmering cloak that caught the light like oil on water. "I found this draped over the greenhouse roof this morning. Whoever wore it had a clear view of your practice sessions." Lily's stomach dropped. She'd thought she was alone all those afternoons, working on her stillness technique where no one would see. But someone had been studying her, learning what she'd learned. McGonagall folded the cloak carefully. "Whoever built that altar knows you found the vial. And now they know how you plan to approach Thunderbirds." She met Lily's eyes. "They're going to use your own method to reach the creature before you do." Lily felt the weight of it settle over her. She'd worked so hard to earn the Thunderbird's trust through patience and preparation. Now someone else would take her technique and use it first, and the Thunderbird would choose them instead. She looked at McGonagall, her notes suddenly feeling useless in her hands. "Can we stop them?" The professor's face was grim. "Not if they're already ahead of us. But we can be ready when they make their move." She handed Lily back her notes. "Your stillness technique is sound. The question now is whether you're willing to use it differently than you planned — not to bond with the Thunderbird, but to protect it from whoever's been watching you." Lily understood what McGonagall was asking. She could keep preparing to earn the creature's trust herself, or she could accept that someone else might reach it first and focus instead on making sure that person didn't hurt it. The choice felt like giving up her dream before she'd even tried. But looking at the shimmering cloak in McGonagall's hands, Lily realized her stillness practice had never been just about her. It was about what the Thunderbird needed. And right now, it needed protection more than it needed her ambition. "I'll do it," Lily said. "Whatever keeps it safe." McGonagall nodded once, and Lily felt the path ahead shift under her feet.